Edge of a Cliff
by Hero'sValor132
Summary: What if the town you loved, turns its back on you? Can you endure their hatred? And will your loved one still be there with you at the end of it all? A tale of Love, Drama and Acceptance.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello Readers, This is story between Raven and Micah from RF3. It does contain spoilers, if your one of the people who don't know Raven's secret. RF3 are where the characters, and setting are located. Other than that I hope you enjoy my work.**_

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**The Edge of a Cliff**

Life is not rose colored and beautiful. This is a reality I have come to realize after all that has transpired over the past couple of weeks. There was a time that I believe that the world was a place of warmth and kindness. Those feelings, have all but died.

My only grasp of hope for the future, is holding onto my hand as we run for dear life. Her crimson hair flowed recklessly, as she struggled to keep pace with me. Sweat flung off both of our faces, as the intense desert heat pushed our fatigue to it's absolute limits.

In the midst of our escape my mind wandered back to when everything began. When our world was an entirely different place.

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It had been almost a year since my arrival into Sharance and I had finally gotten into the flow of things. I would begin a daily ritual of waking up, watering my plants, caring for my monsters and then checking either my mailbox or the board for requests that would fill up most of my day. I spend my nights in the dungeons or fishing outside of town before calling it a day.

Despite my introverted nature, I managed to become close to most of the townspeople. It must have been their unique personalities and tender openness that made it easier for me to open up to them.

However, there was one person in town who made a significant impact on my existence. Without her, everything that happened later, would have surely plunged me into the depths of despair.

It is here that my flashback begins, with the opening of the door to her shop.

As always, the moment my feet stepped onto the wooden floors, familiar sensations welcomed me. I felt the heat of the oven nearby give my cheeks a warm hue, accompanied by the scent of coal, and smoke that brought forth a cough from my lungs.

The sound expelled from my lungs drew attention to my presence. Gaius was the first to notice me from his place before the anvil. He stopped hammering for a moment to wave at me with his smithing arm. He gave a slight glance toward the woman at the counter, along with a knowing smile, before returning to his work.

I stepped over to the counter and smiled slightly as I made eye contact with her.

"Hey Raven" I smiled, resting my hands on the counter.

She paused a moment before speaking, deciding where to direct her vision, finally deciding to gaze at the tools on the wall.

"Hey..." she replied simply, without any node of emotion behind it.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked, admiring the features on her face as I waited for her response.

She must have sensed my gaze upon her, because she made eye contact with me for a fleeting moment before turning away again. But not before I managed to catch a glimpse of a rosy glow that matched her hair's scarlet color.

"...Yes" she paused a moment after speaking, signaling she had more to say.

"Gaius said the store would be fine today" she added, a hint of delight in her tone.

Although both us knew, Gaius would most likely just close up shop early while Raven was gone.

Raven and Gaius casted each other a glance, understanding each other completely without a sound.

There was a gentle autumn breeze as we walked slowly under the early evening sky. Leaves from the Sharance tree blew softly around us, and decorated the ground. A slight crunch could be heard after every few steps. Because of the absence of villagers, the sound of the leaves rang out amiss our silence.

However, this silence between us was peaceful. We enjoyed our freedom to be able to walk next to each other and not feel the need to talk about anything. This was a trait not found in others around here, and something I greatly admired in her.

I slowly reached out and took her hand into mine as we walked. She did nothing to reject me, her response was clear by the way her hand tenderly coiled into mine.

I turned to her and smiled gently, showing my appreciation. Seeing my smile, her body visibly relaxed as she moved her body to rest against mine as we walked, resting her head slightly on my shoulder for support.

"Thank you..." she whispered into the air silently. Breaking the silence between us as we approached the crossroads outside of town.

I glanced over at the two directions before turning to Raven.

"Did you want to go to the usual place at Sol Terrano again?" I asked, remembering she had enjoyed our date there previously.

She shook her head slightly.

"I'd like to see the Ice Flowers..." she trailed off glancing toward the northern path.

I was a little surprised she wanted to go there at this time of year, but went along with it regardless.

As we entered the Ice Valley we were meant by a sinister snap of cold wind that instantly sent shivers between the both of us. Our vision in front of us was nothing but a thick blanket of wind and ice that tore against our bare skin. Having second thoughts about the location I turned to Raven.

"It's too rough out here, don't you think we should turn back?" I asked, having to yell over the wind in attempts for her to hear me.

She kept her sights forward, which made me think for a moment that she hadn't heard me. But she turned her head to me and shook her head and pointed forward, still wanting to continue forward.

I knew that she could be awfully stubborn at times like this. But, I still couldn't understand why it was she was so determined about going there now. Despite that, I wasn't about to leave her side for an instant as she pushed forward alone.

Against the threat of the approaching blizzard, I caught up to her and gripped her hand tightly so we wouldn't lose each other. Her hand in mine was like a Ignis when compared to the icy storm around us.

Through the blinding snow, and shards of ice, we somehow managed to ascend the hill and reach the Icy Rosebush.

Luckily, we were high enough that the wind had died down considerably, and the vengeful snow now fell like petals into the winter night. I doubled over for a moment to catch my breath, my stamina wore down slightly from the climb.

The Rosebush always fascinated me at the splendor of nature whenever I glanced at it. It towered above me, reaching for the night sky like an outstretched hand. I marveled at the dichotomy between the razor sharp icicle thorns and the vibrant beauty of the crystallized roses.

Raven stood next to me, her breathing also a little ragged, the climb having worn her down as well. She too appeared to be in awe of the beauty before her. A small smile escaped her lips, proud of having made it despite the weather.

She placed herself closer to the roses, reaching out and gently cupping one in her palm. I marveled at her, as one year ago she was so standoffish, and now people in town began to take notice of how much gentler she had become. I was so focused on her it me surprised when she spoke.

"...Sorry" she apologized turning her head slightly to make eye contact.

I smiled at her and shook my head.

"Don't worry about it" I brushed off. "It was worth it" I added, walking to stand next to her.

As I stood closer to her, I noticed that her body shivered slightly against the cold.

"You can transform, if you'd like" I informed her, telling her gently.

She turned to me, looking a bit flustered.

"But...it can't be pleasant...since I'm not cute...like you" she scattered her words, feeling a uncomfortable just talking about it.

Her soft way of speaking and modest personality made it hard for me not to tease her.

"Your right, it's not very cute..." I responded, earning a disheartened frown from Raven for a moment before I spoke again.

"It's beautiful" I complimented, earning a smile and a pair of rosy cheeks.

"..." was all she replied with before stepping away for a moment and changing her form.

A flash of light enveloped her body, drowning out the world with light. The girl I knew disappeared and in her place a large bird stood instead.

A radiant blend of colors dressed the phoenix that now stood before me. Her wings were a transcendent mix of pink. blue, orange and purple. Sky blue streamlined across her face and through her hair, illuminating the same blue eyes of the woman who once stood there just moments ago.

And she had the gull to tell me she wasn't cute in her monster form.

Raven, noticing me admiring her, turned her head.

"Don't...stare...It's embarrassing" she blushed.

I chuckled sightly at her reaction.

"I'm sorry, I just can't get over how cute you look like that" I commented in earnest.

"...Idiot" she shot back, turning her head away even more.

"You too..." she added, looking back at me now.

I nodded and did the same, transforming myself into my wooly form. I felt considerably warmer with my golden fleece coating my body nicely.

Raven's eyes wandered into thought for a moment before asking a question that I didn't expect.

"So...does this mean I'm normally not cute?" she asked, turning her head slightly with a worried expression.

Was she teasing me? I wasn't sure since the question was so unexpected, so I responded quickly to assure her.

"N-no it's not like that!" I quickly stuttered out. "Y-Your always cute, very cute!" I trampled over my words in response.

She was silent for a moment. I feared she didn't believe me, worried she would grown distance from me again.

But just than I saw the corners of her mouth move into a smile followed by the sound of...giggling? It was a quiet and soft sound, that could be mistaken for breathing. But than it grew in volume and it was clear by the large smile on her face, and the slight shine of tears on her face that she was laughing at me.

It was an incredibly warm and earnest laugh. I stood there dumbfounded for a moment at this side of her I had never seen before.

Her laughing was so infectious that I couldn't help but join her.

After a few moments we calmed down.

"Sorry..." Raven apologized, realizing how out of character that was for her.

I pulled her into an embrace, although she was larger than me in monster form, so I was absorbed into her down as I hugged her.

"I'm glad that I was able to see a new side of you" I spoke, my voice slightly muffed in her feathers.

She stood there for a moment, before wrapping her wings around me.

"...I'm only like this...because of you" she replied. " ...If it wasn't for you...I probably would still be alone..." her body tightened around me as she spoke. "So...thanks" her voice full of gratitude.

We spent an hour or so more huddled together before the rosebush. After which, we walked back into town, the snowstorm had ended and we were granted a peaceful nighttime stroll back home.

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_**End of Chapter 1. It's mainly to establish the kind of relationship the two share, except more drama in later chapters. Feel free to review, helpful advice is always desired.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey readers, I present to you Chapter 2. Enjoy**

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**Chapter 2: The Letter**

This kind of pleasant routine continued for the next couple of weeks. One day, as the winds began to signal the approach of winter, something happened during one of my visit to the blacksmith's.

As I approach the entrance, I overheard voices from behind the door. The shop wasn't quite open yet, so it must have been from Gaius and Raven.

I stood before the door, listening in on the conversation with reserved guilt.

"Do you know...letter?" Gaius asked, although words were tough to fully make out through the oak doors.

"...o" was all I could hear from Raven's soft spoken voice.

"Whoever sent this...knows..." Gaius continued, my ears trying desperately to hone in on their words.

I moved over by the window to try and hear more, as I peered through the window I noticed their expressions.

Gaius had a look of concern on his face as he spoke to Raven. Who on the other hand looked unfazed, to most people's eyes anyway.

However, I was aware of Raven enough that I could see her hand gripping at her clothes tightly, revealing how distraught she actually was.

There was a lull in the conversation between them, so I decided then would be the best time to enter.

I stepped in carefully, feeling the tension that filled the room. That broke instantly when Gaius noticed me and spoke.

"Oh hey, it's good to see you" Gaius welcomed, speaking as lax as always.

"Yeah, you too." I replied, uncertain at what my next choice of words should be. Should I confess and say I overheard them? Or do I play if off like Gaius was?

I looked to Raven for an answer.

Raven looked distant, hardly registering I was even there. Her eyes were focused on the letter placed on the table.

That single white envelope seemed to be the focal of the entire room.

As if by design, I asked the one question that filled everyone's thoughts.

"Who's that letter from?" I asked, feigning ignorance and feeling awful for doing so.

Raven let out a audible gasp of surprise, and looked even more trouble. Gaius didn't appear all to surprised at my question, but looked at me with a forgiving expression.

"Oh, that..." Gaius began. "We don't know, I guess the person forgot to put their name on it." he laughed.

"Ah, you have to be pretty forgetful to neglect something like that" I laughed nervously, wishing I had Gaius's acting ability.

"Enough..." Raven interrupted, bringing back the tense atmosphere that Gaius and I had tried to cast off.

Before I could apologize, Raven was already on her way out of the store.

I quickly gave chase out the door, managing to stop her in front of the flower shop.

"Raven..." I comforted, gripping onto her wrist to stop her.

She resisted slightly before calming down and turning toward me.

"...I saw you" she stated, looking disappointed.

"Sorry..." I apologized. "I should have been more honest with you..." I added, my apology doing little to ease my guilt.

Raven paused for a moment, during which I released my hand, knowing that she wouldn't run away anymore.

"...I don't want you involved in this..." Raven informed me.

"Why not?" I asked, though I knew her well enough to guess the reason.

"Because..." Raven's hand tightened as she paused, turning her eyes downward to avoid mine. "I can handle it myself..." she finished.

A common habit of hers, but I was determined to help her regardless.

"Raven...let me help you." I offered gently, drawing close and raising my hand to her cheek.

"No..." Raven weakly refused, turning her head to the side, but allowing my hand to remain on her cheek.

I took the chance to close the distance between us, and embrace her in my arms.

"Your not alone anymore Raven, you don't have to endure everything by yourself." I explained to her.

Raven didn't respond, but I got my answer when she tightened her grip around my body.

After a moment of embrace, we walked back to the shop to find Gaius hammering away, and as usual, he didn't even notice us enter.

The morning sunlight that pierced the room reminded me I had yet to attend to my daily chores.

"I need to get going, I have to go feed the monsters before they get too impatient." I chuckled lightly to myself, reminded of how a late meal would cause them to practically trample me for food.

"Ah...me too...I still haven't set out the specials for today..." Raven trailed off, looking distracted by something else.

"Don't worry too much about that letter ok?" I told her, sensing her train of thought.

Raven nodded slightly, giving me a soft smile.

"Thanks..." she spoke sincerely.

Before I could tell her it was no trouble, I felt a warm sting on my cheek.

"Have a good day at work...Woolykins." I heard Raven whisper as her lips parted from my cheek.

Stunned and crimson colored, I was sent out the door and made to walk home, still reeling from the kiss that burned my cheek.

I stretched as I stood up from planting the last of my spinach seeds. I could tell winter was fast approaching, so I opted to play it safe by planting spinach until the snow hit.

Gazing at my watch the time was three o'clock. Most of my day was burned up because my Carrots were finally ready to be harvested.

I took out some mixed juice and chugged it down to get try and get my strength back.

As I finished, I noticed Karina coming onto the farm to collect my shipments.

The moment Karina saw the exhaustive piles of carrots, I heard an exasperated sigh as she came closer.

"There's alot today...(I'm tired just looking at it)" Karina commented, slowly gathering a few into a crate.

"I can help carry them if you'd like." I offered, gathering a few myself.

"Thanks...(I would have never got it done...)" she thanked, as she gathered more into her crate.

By the time we got it all finished it was close to five o'clock. Karina looked half asleep as stood placed the final bin down.

"That's all of it...(So sleepy...)" Karina yawned.

"Sorry for the trouble..." I apologized, feeling bad for always troubling her with my shipments.

"It's fine...(He's too kind...Raven's a lucky girl.)" Karina waved off, not appearing too bothered by it.

With that I made my way back home and crashed on my bed, completely drained from work.

I laid back, trying to ignore the tension in my spine as I thought about Raven. I wanted to see her, but I simply didn't have the strength today.

Thinking back to this morning, I realized I hadn't asked what was written in the letter.

I felt stupid.

Here I told her I would help, but how was I supposed to do that when I didn't even know what was troubling her?

Promising myself to bring it up tomorrow, I allowed my eyes to grow heavy, but not before touching my cheek softly, bringing a smile to my face as I fell asleep.

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**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, once again feel free to review and comment. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello readers, I'm glad to see that my story has attracted some interest. As always, Enjoy.**

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Chapter 3: Falling Rain

As I awaked the next day, I was greeted by sore muscles and a stiff back.

I groaned as I rolled out of bed and slowly made my way toward the kitchen. Still groggy, I decided upon a simple meal of croquettes.

While the pan heated, I mashed some potatoes into a bowl, mixing in butter, eggs, cheese, a few diced carrots, and a little mashed sweet potatoes from yesterday's harvest.

I shaped the mix into small balled up shapes and coated them with breadcrumbs.

By then the pan was ready, so I pour in some oil and began to fry the croquettes a few at a time, having to add more oil as necessary.

Once I finished, I gave a satisfied look at my plate of golden brown croquettes.

I remember first coming here and having to cook for myself for the first time. I had none of the equipment I had now.

I was reliant on making pickled turnip for most of my the first season.

I still shudder just thinking about it, having to eat that stuff everyday became a challenge.

But, over time, I gathered more ingredients, acquired new recipes and expanded into the fully developed kitchen I have now.

Breaking free of my flashback, I took a bite of my meal.

I savored the crisp and moist texture of the fried coating. The cheese was melted richly within the croquette, enhancing the buttery flavor of the fresh potatoes.

Finally, the added vegetables that provided an enriching flavor of Fall

Feeling better after a hearty meal. I stepped outside and was surprised the see rain falling heavily past the tree.

I breathed a strong sigh of relief and thanked the skies for granting me a day off from farming.

I went over to the monster barn to surprise my animals with an early meal.

My barn had four divided sections where my monsters lived.

The first and second sections was made up of my income animals, such as Buffamoos, Cluckadoodles, Woolies and a few Queen Bees.

My third department was comprised of my battle companions. My sliver wolf, claw dragon and a Blood Panther.

The fourth was a gathering of various creatures that helped me on the farm from time to time. But I tried not to rely on them too much.

However, upon entering I was shocked to see my animals gathered around a familiar scarlet haired individual.

"Raven!" I exclaimed, my outburst surprised Raven as she turned around to face me.

"What are you doing here?" I inquired, giving her a very curious look.

"Needed some time alone..." Raven answered honestly, petting one of the heads of a buffamoo as her voice drifted.

I wanted to take the opportunity to ask what was written in the letter, but couldn't gather the courage to ask her when she look so melancholy.

As if sensing my thoughts Raven spoke up again.

"...Do you want to know what was in the letter?" she asked, looking me in the eyes to determine my answer before I even voiced it.

"You don't have to force yourself to tell me." I replied, though I knew my expression would give me away.

"It's ok...I...want you to know" Raven revealed, easing my worry.

Out of her pocket, Raven pulled out the letter. I suspected that she had been keeping that with her since she received it.

Coming closer she reached out and handed it to me.

Slowly opening the letter I began to read the letter in my head.

_Dear Raven:_

_You think you can get away with deceiving everyone with your lies._

_But I know the truth about you. About who you really are._

_I demand that you leave this town immediately and never show your horrid form to anyone ever again._

_If you refuse to leave, I will take away everything precious to you and make you regret your very existence..._

I gripped the letter in my hand tightly, crinkling the page in anger. I noticed the envelope had something tucked inside.

Upon inspection, I found a feather placed in the enveloped that could only belong to a certain phoenix.

I looked at Raven, whose facade had fallen now that I knew.

Her face was teary eyed as she looked at me in fear.

"What should I do?" she pleaded, desperate for an answer I couldn't give.

I had no words that could ease her, so instead I walked over to her and took her into my embrace.

"We'll get through this..." I promised, holding her head in my chest to avoid her from seeing the worry form in my own face.

Raven cried gently into my chest, clawing against me as she released all the pain she had kept bottled up.

Despite the situation we were in, I was proud that she confided her deepest feelings to me.

After we calmed ourselves down, we silently worked together tending to the monsters in the barn, gathering wool, milk, honey, eggs and other products from each of them.

At one point, a young wooly had jumped into Raven's arms. She responded motherly by petting the wooly tenderly.

An action which sent a tinge of jealous through me as I decided to comment.

"He certainly likes you..." I trailed off, trying to restrain my annoyance.

Raven caught on immediately as she teased me a little.

"Yes...he's very cute..." she smiled, as the wooly nuzzled against her.

"Hmm, must be your favorite than..." I frowned, turning around flustered.

I heard no response for a moment, causing me to fear that it might have been turn before I felt arms wrap around me from behind.

"...I think your much cuter...Woolykins" she spoke gently.

My heart melted at her words. I could feel the intense admiration she felt for me.

We finished up tending to the monsters, giving them their meals and than stepping outside and made our way back into my house.

I smiled as I glanced at Raven, who appeared to be much more relaxed compared to when I had first seen her this morning.

"Feeling better?" I asked warmly, heading toward the fridge.

"Yes...thank you.." Raven responded taking a seat.

Ever since we started dating, whenever Raven came over I always ended up cooking something for her, so it ended up becoming a habit.

She didn't comment on it so I figured it gave her a break from always cooking for her and Gaius.

"Is there anything you would like to eat?" I asked.

"...Tea is fine" she replied, implying she wasn't all that hungry.

I searched through my fridge and I managed to find some relax tealeaves already prepared.

I also collected a pink melon, a leek and some honey for added flavor.

I chopped up the leek, and carefully collected melon juice from some of the slices.

I added those ingredients to the pot of water that already contained the tealeaves.

I watched carefully as the water began boil, smelling the aroma to determine the proper time to serve it. I had to be careful not to have the juice lose its sugar or the leeks to cook too much, making the tea bitter.

My nose twitched as I detected the right aroma. I quickly shut off the heat and poured the tea into two teacups.

As a final touch, I stirred in a fresh hint of honey to both cups and handed the cup to Raven with a slight bow.

"Thanks..." she nodded, taking the tea carefully from my hand.

I sat down across from her and watched as she inhaled the sweet, calming aroma of my work.

I watched as the tension melted away as she took a swig of her tea. My expression focused in on her expression to gauge her opinion.

"It's good...So you can stop staring now..." Raven frowned, a blush escaping her cheeks.

I smiled, turning my focus to my own cup and relaxed as we both enjoyed our tea in each others silence.

Afterwords, I decided to walk with Raven to the shop.

Underneath an small umbrella and intertwined fingers, we became encompassed within a world that held only us, if only briefly.

We gazed passively at the rush of rain that fell endlessly before us. It coated the world around us with a radiant sheen of reflective light.

It was as if nature desired to be gaze upon under the darkened cloud of sky above.

Against the cold breeze, I felt nothing when compared with the warmth of the body that rested against mine, as we calmly walked in tune with one another.

Beyond the melody of the pouring rain, the only sound was the echo of our footsteps clapping puddles on the ground.

I savored every moment when I was with Raven. It was times like these that I truly treasured my life, and everyone in it.

If only things could have continued like this...

When we finally reached the shop, we froze in terror at it's condition.

The Blacksmith's had be vandalized. And written on the front of the store, in bold, dripping red paint, were the words.

MONSTER!

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**The plot thickens... Look forward to the next chapter! As always, feel free to comment and review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey readers, been a while. I'm sincerely grateful for those who reviewed my work. I'm surprised to see such positive feedback. I hope you continue to enjoy this story as things begin to take off.**

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Chapter 4: Broken

The umbrella fell callously from my fingers as I tried to comprehend the destruction in front of me.

The blacksmith's had been vandalized.

No matter how many times I repeated that to myself, I refused to believe it's overwhelming evidence before me.

The shops windows had been smashed, fragments of glass laid scattered everywhere.

The door had been forced open, likely with a crowbar, which left the door victim to the wind, as it slammed recklessly open and shut.

I turned to Raven, only to see the ghastly look of horror and lifeless eyes still gazing up at the haunting red words written on the wall.

Acting quickly I stood in front of her line of sight and gripped her shoulders firmly.

"Raven!" I shouted, desperate for her to regain her composure.

Raven let out an audible gasp and looked at me, life reforming in her eyes. The look she gave me was a haunting one.

"For now, let's find Gaius." I spoke firmly, trying to guide her forward.

We stepped inside carefully, avoiding the broken glass, and spotted Gaius knelt beside the kiln.

As we moved closer, I spotted a sack of ore and it's contents spread across the floor.

My eyes moved around the room, taking in more images of destruction.

The shelf of weapons were all knocked over, most of the items broken. Spears, halberds, staffs and hammers were seen broken in half.

But Gaius didn't seem to pay it any heed, or it wasn't his main concern.

He watched as the flames danced in the kiln. As we approached we heard him mumbling through tears.

"My hammer..." he sobbed.

"It was the only thing...left..of..." he continued, his words lost through his tears.

I didn't realize what he was talking about until I looked closer and noticed a piece of melted iron and wood burning inside.

His hammer had been tossed into the kiln, leaving it victim to the flames.

Gaius treasured his work, but even more, he treasured the tools that allowed him to create his wonderful work.

I gripped my fists for a moment, the fire mirrored within my eyes, before I took a deep breath to regain my focus and relax.

Gaius finally noticed our presence, and look startled for a moment, likely not having heard us come in.

He breathed a small sigh, collecting himself a bit.

"Oh...it's you two..." he spoke, his voice coated with melancholy.

I knelt down next to him.

"What happened?" I asked, hoping he saw a glimpse of who was responsible.

"I..I don't know..." Gaius voice weakened. "I was out collecting some ore, and by the time I can back...this...had happened..." He trailed off, staring back into the fire, on the verge of losing himself again.

"That hammer..." he began again, clearly having difficulty getting his words out. "Was the only thing... I had left of my father..." he finished, fighting back more tears.

Gaius looked at me, giving me the same look Raven gave me earlier. That look of desperation for an answer to a single question.

Raven finally spoke up, as she wrapped an arm around Gaius to help him up.

"Let's get you to bed." she said quietly, supporting his weight as Gaius' body trembled from shock.

We walked slowly up the stairs, trying to avert our eyes from the devastation around us, only to find the upstairs had been attacked as well.

Ignoring that for the moment, we made putting Gaius to bed the first priority.

He smiled meekly as he fell asleep quickly from the shock.

We walked into Raven's room, frozen again at even greater chaos.

Her sheets were ripped to shreds, the feathers of her pillow scoured the room.

Her bookcase was knocked over, books were taken and their pages torn out and tossed around the room carelessly.

Jewels were smashed to bits, their pieces sprinkling the ground.

Hammer marks had been smashed into the walls, cupboards and the bed, like a madman on a rampage.

If there was any doubt, it was gone now.

The same individual who wrote the letter was responsible for this.

Raven turned to me, obviously reaching the same conclusion I had.

"...Is this my fault?" she asked weakly, bending down to collect the broken remains of her favorite necklace.

I recognized fragments of a heart pendant I had given her a while back. She was now trying to feebly piece it back together.

I knelt next to her, reaching for her hand to stop her. She pulled it away sharply, causing her to cut her hand on a shard of glass.

The glass sliced the back of her hand, blood followed quickly.

"I'm sorry!... Are you ok?" I asked apologetically.

I brought her hand closer, only to see tears fall onto her wounded hand.

"...No.." Raven mumbled before breaking out into tears.

She gripped onto my body tightly, clinging on so desperately it hurt to breathe. I struggled desperately to keep my own tears from falling.

I pulled her tighter against me, as if to squeeze every last tear out of her to stop the anguish she felt.

I don't know how long she wept, but I stayed with her, gently caressing her hair to relax her as best I could.

Eventually, we began to hear voices gathering outside.

I looked at Raven, who rubbed her swollen eyes before nodding to me.

We made our way back outside to see most of the town gathered in front of the shop, similar expression painted across all of them.

The rain was still ongoing, but the villagers were more concerned with the shop's condition.

Wells, the mayor approached first. Giving a stern look at us and the surrounding building.

"What's happened here!?" He asked, his anger at the situation venting off to us.

"Someone's broken in and wreck the shop" I replied.

Wells turned toward the crowd behind him, causing everyone to look at each other.

"But why attack this place?" he asked.

I shrugged, shaking my head as if I didn't know the reason.

I heard a voice from the crowd, I looked closer to see Daria speaking.

"What's that written up there?" She pointed near the roof at the writing.

With everything that had been going on I had mostly forgotten about it.

I figured it would have washed away by now, but it seemed like the roof shielded it from the rain.

Mummers broke out among the townspeople as they gazed up at the writing.

Just than, Gaius stumbled out the door rubbing his eyes, probably woken up by the commotion.

I noticed everyone's gaze shifted from the wall to Gaius.

It didn't dawn on me till moments later why they were looking at him.

I could swear their minds resonated as I heard a single collective thought ring out.

"It's because Gaius is a monster..." Their thoughts spoke.

The mayor peered at the crowd, likely gathering the consensus on the next course of action.

An investigation would definitely be done to find the culprit. I could just imagine the town working together to make sure that he or she was caught. It's one of the things I loved most about the town.

"We will have to take precautions to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else." he announced, looking again at the destruction.

I nodded in agreement, others shouldn't have to endure this sort of thing done to their home.

"Therefore, I don't want anyone getting involved with this. Even if you wish to help, It's too dangerous since we may be targeted as well. So please keep yourselves safe and put this whole thing behind you...That is all." Wells ended, turning his back and beginning to walk away.

"That's it!?" I spoke without thinking, a bit more loudly than intended as well, causing stares to be direct at me.

Wells looked back at me, as though it was a strange question to ask.

"What about an investigation to find this person?" I shot at him, trying to make sense of it.

"It's probably just some act of violence from a purist out of town who doesn't accept monsters." Wells explained. "It doesn't involve us." he put simply.

"But..." I bit my tongue before I mentioned the letter.

If I told them about the letter, than they would know it was Raven being targeted. I didn't want Raven's secret to get out.

Besides, I didn't know how the town viewed monsters. I mean we had a couple in town, but they weren't really talked about or seen too often outside their homes.

I quickly finished my sentence with another question.

"...How do you know that no one here did it?" I asked, again looking at the crowd around us.

Wells suddenly glared at me.

"Because we didn't" he shot back forcefully. "Don't you think that if someone was going to, they would have done so by now?" he scolded.

I opened my mouth, only to have it close again. It was clear that I would have to handle this without the town's help.

Having seen the end of our conversation. Wells turned around once more and spoke to the crowd in a much more kinder tone.

"Come now everyone, let's get out of this rain before we catch colds." He instructed.

And just like that the crowd began to disperse, leaving the three of us out in the freezing rain.

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**And the drama makes it's appearance. Look forward to the next chapter to see how things will progress from here as Micah begins his investigation. As always, feel free to give feedback, I feed off that stuff haha. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, **

**First off, I would like to apologize for the late update. This chapter gave me some trouble giving it both substance and length. Second, I would like to thank all my commenters and followers for reading, I'm happy to see people enjoying my work :). **

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Chapter 5: Warmth

The rain, like the town, seemed to give us no sympathy as it fell mercilessly from the sky.

We spent most of the day cleaning up the mess, all the while silence filled the room as we were all absorbed within our own minds.

It was early evening by the time we got the shop cleared out. Gaius and I were putting the finishing touches on the broken door as we stood outside beneath the clearing skies.

The clouds had dispersed in the late afternoon, leaving us with a golden horizon that glazed over residual water droplets.

The passing of the storm managed to grant us some degree of peace as we all collectively looked out across the horizon, letting our troubles rest like setting sun before us.

I looked at Raven and Gaius, their melancholy expression made me want to do something to soothe their minds. I knew that my words would do little, so I decided to try and soothe their stomachs.

"Would you two like to have dinner with me tonight?" I offered.

Gaius responded first, smiling knowingly.

"Thanks, I could use a bite to eat after all that" he replied, glancing toward Raven.

"You hungry Raven?" he asked, a show of concern at her distant gaze.

Raven, appeared to be only half listening

"...Oh...Sure..." she replied, clearly preoccupied with something else.

Once we arrived at my house and got settled, I nibbled at the nail of my thumb as I stared at the food in my fridge, wanting to create a dish they would love.

My mind settled on a hearty bowl of stew, which I hoped would warm them up from the cold.

I started by filling my pot with water and turning on the heat.

Then, after enduring a fresh onion, I tossed the pieces into the frying pan and let the brown from a few minutes before throwing them into the water.

Next I took care of the potatoes and carrots, dicing them into fair chunks to add some girth to the stew.

Before tossing in the veggies, I added the flour and milk in varying amounts to thicken up the stock. Once that was accomplished I threw in the veggies and set the pot to simmer.

While the food cooked, the three of us sat at the wooden table with a cup of tea. Raven's fingers traced the top to the cup while Gaius seemed to stare off into the ripples of his tea.

It was clear both of them wanted to break the silence, but neither could find the right words to do so.

Since that was the case, I felt the time was right to inform them of my plan from here on.

"I'm going to try and find the culprit." I stated plainly, but with assertion.

Gaius spoke up first.

"There's no need for you to go that far." he replied. "I'm sure it's just a random act of violence..." Gaius trailed off, hardly sounding believable.

"We all know that's not true..." I responded, wishing it could be that simple. "It's clear from the damage that it was directed at Raven..." I added, irritation beginning to seep into my voice.

"I'll need to go into town tomorrow and ask around to find out if anyone knows anything." I spoke aloud, more to myself to anyone in the room.

At that moment, I noticed both Gaius and Raven both tensed up.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"...No..." Raven replied, averting my gaze, clearly hinting otherwise.

I peered over at Gaius, who made eye contact with Raven for a moment as if about to speak, but suddenly stopped short and fell silent.

I opened my mouth to divulge deeper, but was interrupted by the buzzer from the timer.

I sighed, making a note to ask about it later.

I took off the lid from the pot, and was struck with a sweet starchy aroma that vividly filled my mind with the vibrant colors of autumn.

I filled up three bowls and handed them out at the table.

Unfortunately, dinner was filled with the same dense silence from earlier. Part of me wondered if I should of even bothered inviting them, because it seemed like I had only soured the mood.

I sighed, my negative mood numbing the taste of stew on my palette. I tried to focus my mind on tomorrow, who I should talk to and what I should ask. I was certain that someone in town must have seen something that could help.

That thought calmed myself enough to truly enjoy the heartwarming flavor of the stew. The carrots added a sweetness that complimented the other vegetables, while the potatoes added that hearty texture that filled your stomach.

I sighed again, wishing I knew the recipe to sweeten the mood.

"This is delicious as always" Gaius complimented, thankfully breaking the silence.

I was about to say it was nothing when Gaius spoke up again.

"Really..." Gaius's voice became quieter and more sincere. "Thank you for this..." he trailed off, the weight of his words implying more than just thanks for the meal.

I was left silent, a modest response wouldn't cut it now.

Raven was also silent, which I found unsettling because it usually implied she was bothered by something.

At the very least, when I cooked, I would always get a slight smile or a brief comment on the meal. Her inattention worried me that things were getting to her more than she showed.

Once the dishes from dinner were all cleaned up, Gaius asked if he could check out my forge, which left me and Raven alone.

It was hard to tell if Gaius was intentionally giving us time alone, or he was simply curious about my forge.

Regardless, Raven and I found ourselves outside, a cold wind and damp ground was all that remained from the storm this morning.

It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light emitting from the crescent moon. From the front porch of my house, I could gaze out at the entire town and beyond.

However, right now my focus was on the centered on the girl in front of me.

"So, is there something you wanted to talk about?" I asked, having to watch her closely to gauge her mood.

Raven's eyes shifted around, settling on the landscape across the town. Her body motioned away from mine.

"...I don't want you getting involved with this..." she stated plainly.

My eyes widened slightly, shocked by her blunt statement.

"What? Why?" I responded.

"...Because..." Raven began, struggling to finish her sentence.

"Why?" I pushed, stepping forward.

"...It doesn't concern you." she finished, though I felt the real reason went deeper.

"Raven..." I spoke softer, disbelief written on my face.

Raven looked away again, a look of hurt wiped across her face as she was forced to be honest.

"...Because...you'll get hurt..." Raven revealed, her compassionate answer sounding far more truthful.

I stepped closer to Raven, taking her hand for assurance.

"I won't..." I began. "I'll talk to the townspeople, gather information, find the criminal, and then things can go back to normal..." I explained to her.

Raven shook her head slowly.

"But...the towns..." she murmured, falling silent to prevent saying anymore than that.

"What is it?" I asked, having only heard her mumble a reply.

"...It's nothing" Raven brushed off, leaving the subject at that.

I decided to not inquire any further. Looking back, I wonder what would have resulted from knowing what concerned her at that time.

"Alright...So are we ok now?" I asked, moving closer to gauge her reaction.

Raven was silent as she closed the distance, wrapping her arms around me for support and gripping onto my back as she spoke.

"...I just want this whole thing to be over." Raven confessed.

"It'll be over soon...I promise." I soothed.

"...Can you promise me something else?" Raven asked, lifting her head to meet my gaze.

"Anything..." I whispered honestly, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"...Promise me...You'll stay with me...no matter what happens..." Raven spoke, her voice a mixture of passion and desperation.

In that moment, her cerulean eyes washed over mine, capturing me and causing my heart to beat tight within my chest. The warmth of her embrace nulled the night's chill, and uplifted the heavy thoughts from my mind, leaving only confidence behind.

I'm unsure whether I actually replied to her, but I do remember the taste of stew on soft lips and the radiant glow of crimson hair beneath a crescent moon.

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**Bit of a filler chapter I know... But I promise the story will take off. As always feel free to comment and review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again, I want to thank you for your patience and hope you enjoy the chapter.**

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**Chapter 6: Investigation**

I rubbed my eyes as I stepped out of bed, my mind already beginning to organize the day.

Gaius and Raven had stayed the night at my house, as per my request.

I told them they should take a day to rest up having to handle everything that has been going on.

Neither rejected the idea, their worn out faces made it clear what they needed.

Both of them were still asleep, so I was careful not to disturb them as I headed outside.

Today was the day I started investigating. It gave me a degree of relief, because now I felt I could something productive to help.

I quickly did my work for the day, managing to get done just before lunch.

Stepping out of the tree, I covered my eyes as the sun beamed sharply down from the highest point in the cloudless sky.

I headed straight toward the Blacksmith's shop, a clear starting point.

My intention was to take a closer look around the shop to see if anything was left behind.

However, as I approached the front door I caught something in my peripheral

I stopped and kneeled behind a bush that sat in front of the window. I combed through the leaves and branches and picked up a small paintbrush.

Upon closer inspection, I noted that the tip was covered in dried red paint.

Looking up from where I was I quickly realized why. It was the paintbrush used to graffiti the front entrance.

Optimism sprung out from within me, feeling me with confidence. The culprit had dropped something so important, with it I felt I was already on the way to catching them.

As I looked at the paintbrush, I was reminded how Daria owned alot of paintbrushes. I pondered at the possibility that she may have done it. Although since she herself was a monster, I doubted that she would write the graffiti.

Regardless, I decided to pay her a visit and ask her about it personally.

Daria lived just outside the main part of town, to the south. At first I figured it was an artist's desire to be closer to inspiration, but as I walked there now a part of me wondered if that was truly the case.

As I stepped inside I spotted Daria painting what appeared to be some odd looking clay idol.

She was a mix of concentration and whimsy. Her brush stamping the idol with precise strikes. She held her palette in her left hand, her brush occasionally reloading more paint to once again assault her art.

"Hey Daria, sorry to interrupt but can I speak with you for a moment." I called out, causing her to turn around with a cheerful expression.

"Ah, have you come to ask about my masterpiece?" Daria assumed, always ready to show off her work.

"Uh..no. Actually, I came to ask about this..." I trailed off, and pulled out the paintbrush.

"Ah! Rainbow!" Daria exclaimed, taking the brush from my hand. "You saw my request?! Thank you!" Daria added joyfully.

"Wait...You posted a request for this?" I asked, confused.

Daria nodded.

"Yeah, I lost this paintbrush two days ago. I was going to look for it, but my art called me." Daria explained.

"So that's why you posted a request..." I mumbled more to myself than her.

Another nod from Daria.

Daria examined the brush for a moment before speaking again.

"Did you use this brush?" She asked, rubbing at the dry red paint with her fingertips.

I shook my head.

"No I found it... on the ground somewhere." I corrected, wanting to avoid mentioning that it was in front of the shop.

Something inside me kept me from letting others know I was investigating the town. I feared if it got back to the mayor, he would be pissed that I suspected someone from around here.

"Ah, there must be a secret artist in the midst..." Daria jumped to conclusion, clearly excited at the prospect of pulling in yet another assistant.

I chuckled nervously, not really knowing how to respond to her. Something that happened often when speaking with Daria.

I decided to take off and leave her to her work.

"Thanks" I called out, making my way out the door.

Outside, I breathed a slight sigh of relief

While the knowledge that she had posted a request for a missing paintbrush may not exactly prove her innocence, I believed in the sense of genuine relief that Daria gave when I showed her the paintbrush

Besides, Daria's a good friend of mine, she's taught me alot about the beauty of nature. Even if she can be a bit...passionate about her art sometimes.

As I wandered back toward town, I pondered something.

In order to make red paint, the culprit must have used red herbs, so there was a chance that the stores could fill me in on who bought some recently.

As far as I knew, there were only two locations that carried herbs.

Opening the door to the Inn, I was greeted by Shino.

"Good afternoon, have you come to take a bath?" she asked with a welcoming smile.

I shook my head.

"No, not today, I'm actually looking for Sakuya" I commented, scanning around and finding her at her counter nearby, chatting with a customer.

I waited until Sakuya was done and approached after the customer left, Sakuya was left counting the money she had just received.

"Hey Sakuya, can I talk to you for a moment?" I asked, taking her gaze away from her money.

"Sure thing, what's up?" Sakuya asked, stashing the money away into her pocket with a smile.

"I was wondering if you could tell me if anyone has bought any red herbs lately?" I asked, eager to hear her response in hopes that I can close in on the culprit.

Sakuya gave me a puzzled expression, obviously not expecting the question.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked, unfortunately.

I kind of expected she would wonder about it, but I wanted to avoid lying to her if it was possible.

"I...T..That's a secret." I stuttered out, settling on a half truth in place of a lie.

Whether she didn't care beyond curiosity, or was understanding in my secrecy was unknown. But she didn't inquire any further.

"Oh, well.. let me think." Sakuya paused, wracking her brain over every customer she's had.

"Ah, that's right Marian!" Sakuya exclaimed, having remembered something.

"Marian bought a lot of red herbs recently." Sakuya revealed.

A puzzled expression formed on my face.

"But doesn't the apothecary carry plenty of herbs?" I asked, my mind starting to work.

"Normally they do, I did find it odd, now that you mention it..." Sakuya commented, pondering the reason herself.

Just then, Pia came out from the baths holding a brush and bucket.

"All done with the baths!" Pia announced cheerly.

Sakuya turned to her, her friendly demeanor seemed to shift as she spoke to Pia.

"About time..." Sakuya spoke, annoyed.

Shino spoke up as well, seemingly to be equally annoyed.

"We've had three guest who left because you took so long..." Shino informed her.

"I wanted to make them really clean..." Pia explained, sounding more meek than before.

"No excuses." Shino stated sharply.

Sakuya turned to her mother.

"Hey mom, can we have sashimi tonight?" she asked.

"No! Please! I don't want to eat the fishies!" Pia exclaimed.

"Then you don't have to eat." Shino stated, so matter of fact.

Dejected, Pia takes her tools and headed upstairs.

After Pia had gone, Sakuya's and Shino's persona shifted back to their usual friendliness, as if nothing had happened at all.

"Sorry you had to see that, she sure can be troublesome." Shino apologized.

"Ah...it's fine, I guess running an Inn can be really stressful." I commented, still taking in what I just witnessed.

I turned to Sakuya again.

"Thanks for the information, I'll chat later." I thanked as I made my way out of the Inn.

I left the Inn, taking in the information I received, as well as the event I just witnessed.

I had never see Pia look so meek before.

Usually, when I see her out and about, she's happy and ditzy. But now that I thought about it, I really don't see her out of the Inn very often.

I figured the Inn keeps her busy, which seems to be the case. But I couldn't help feeling there may have been more to it. Especially with how Shino and Sakuya treated her.

I tried to shake it off, reasoning that they were stressed out, and maybe Pia did take a long time to clean the bath.

But try as I might, it couldn't help but remind me of the town's reaction to the break in, and the way they look at Gaius.

It seemed that the more I investigated, the more the town's attitude toward monsters seemed to show.

I decided that I could deal with that concern later and focused on the information I had at hand.

I made my way over to the apothecary, pondering about the possibility of Marian or Marjorie on the way.

I knew that Marjorie had problems with monsters, so she's a good suspicion as to who may have caused the damage to the shop. Marian may also be a possibility, since she may have pick up a distaste for monsters from her grandmother.

Although, Marian seems to veer off entirely from her grandmother's methods. Shown by the failed attempts at medicine she produces.

With building suspicion I open the door to the sound of an explosion and a large red smokescreen filling the apothecary.

"Marian...not again..." an exhausted Marjorie spoke though the haze.

"It wasn't my fault, the bag slipped out." Marian explained, giving me a clear idea what just happened.

"That was the last of the red herbs too..." Marjorie commented. "We've already had to buy more from the Inn just to keep stock..." she added, revealing quickly what I came here to learn.

"I'll get it next time for sure." Marian spoke with a confident tone.

It had seemed that the purchase of herbs was for whatever concoction Marian was attempting to make.

Since my presence was hidden by the smoke, I walked back outside as unnoticed as I came in.

Outside, I breathed out a heavy sigh, having felt a dead end creeping upon me.

I considered going back to Sakuya and asking if anyone else purchased any herbs, when I spotted Raven darting around the middle of town.

Her eyes shifted sporadically, clearly looking for someone.

I rushed over to her.

"Raven, what's wrong?" I asked, noting her panicked expression.

"Did you see anyone?" she asked, looking at me intensely for an answer.

"What? No, why?" I stumbled out.

Raven took a moment to calm down before speaking again.

"There was...another letter" Raven informed me solemnly. "I...thought I saw someone drop it off, but..." she trailed off.

I figured she must have run into town to see if she could spot the culprit, finding me instead.

"Let's head inside first." I motioned, taking hold of her hand and walking back to my house.

As I held her hand, I smiled for what seemed like the first time today. Despite the threat we were under, I could feel confident as long as she was by my side.

Inside, I saw Gaius sitting at the table, and placed in the center of the table was the letter.

My body was a mixture of fear, and anticipation as I walked toward it.

I picked it up, and it read:

_I was being kind by giving you a mere warning. That vandalism was only the beginning. I have the power to turn this entire town against you. Listen here, you are nothing but a weed that needs to be torn from this town. I hope my next act makes you realize where you truly belong._

I didn't crush the paper this time, I knew better than to react to their threats.

It wasn't until I heard a gasp from Raven at my window, and saw what had been done did I crush the letter in my hand.

For, beyond the window, smoke rose out of the blacksmith's shop.

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**Another cliffhanger, what did you expect? It is called Edge of a Cliff, haha. As always feel free to review and comment. Thanks.**


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